Valve.



UNITED STATES 'PATENT oFFicn.

GEORGE D. HOFFMAN. OFVCHICAGO. ILLINOIS. ASSIGNOR T0 NORWALL MANUFAC- TUBING COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

VALVE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented )Lay 16, 1911.

Application led September 17.1909. Serial No. 518,193.

To all whom 'it may concern: y

Be it known that I, Gnonon D. Hort-oms', a citizen of the United States. residingr at Chicago, county of Cook. State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvenientin Valves.l and declare the fol" permitting the air to escape from a radiator when steam is turned ou. for preventing the discharge of steam or water and for mai; taining a partial vacuum in the radiator when steam is turned ott.

The various` features of novelty whereby my invention`is charm-terized will hereinafter be pointed out with particularity in the claims: but. for a full understanding of my invention and of its object and advantages. reference may behad to the following detailed description taken iu connection with the accompatryin.;r drawing` wherein:

Figures l to Yt are longitudinal 'sections showin;r my improved device under different, conditions.

Referring to the dra\viu :1'.-\ represents a cylindrical shell closed at its lower end by a base member li and havin;T an outlet C aty the top. 'l'he member ll is preferably in the form of a casting havingr a nipplel) which is adapted to be screwed into a radiator so as to place the interior ot' the shell in communication with the interior of the radiator.

E is a flexible metal diaphragm arranged within the base member in the plane of the bottom of the nipple, the diaphragm being conveniently made to rest upcn an annular shoulder or ledge L and being brazed or otherwise locked in place. It. will be seen that the diaphragm forms the etlectiveV bottom of the casing, the bottom wall B of the base memb'er forming `simply a protecting' housing for the diaphragm and being perforated as at in order to permit. the underside of the diaphragm to be subjected to the pressure of the surrounding atinosplicre. y

Arranged within the casing is a hollow expansible member F which is capable of acting as a float when water enters the cas ingrl`hc member F preferably consists of an elongated cylindrical shell closed at its lower end by means of a flexible diaphragm f. The interior of the expansible member contains any suitable fluid'- such as alcohol, which will expand when its temperature is raised so as'to ilex the diaphragm f outwardly. In the manufacture of the device 'I prefer to place a little alcohol f in the expansible member and then heat it so as to expel the air before sealine'. The sealing is then eii'eeted while the expansioie member is still hot and consequently. when it becomes cool. a ,partial vacuum will be created in the interior and the diaphragm formingr the lower wall will be forced inwardly positively by the pressure of the outside medium.

lfpou the upper end of the expausible member is carrieda valve (l which is adapted to eeperatc with the port C. stent ll is secured to and extends downwardly from the diaphragm fand into proximity to the diaphrag'm E; The latter diaphragm may be novided with a hillton ffor engaging with. the lower end of the siem H. l

I is a spider of any suitable type arranged within the easing, preferably by being sprung into place in the base member. The stein II passes through this spider which serves to maintain the lower end of the expausiblc float in proper alinement in the casing.

The port C is preferably formed in an adjustable sleeve K which may be screwthreaded into the upper end of the shell thereby making itpossible to raise or lower the seat with which the valve G eoperates. The end of the member K adjacent to which thI` `eat f is placed, is preferably provided with a deepl` concave recess l. surrounding and concentric with the port: this recess .serving to form a guide t'or the valve to `direct it toward its seat.

The parts are so proportioned vthat normally the stem H et' the expausible lloat rests upon the button on the diaphragm ll. In this position the valve is held agonist its' seat, keeping the port C closed. \ssuming that the device is attached to a radiator while in the condition shown iu Figi, l f when steam is turned ou. the air iu tlvl radiator will rush through the nipple into the valve easing until the pressure becomes great,

i t .f

enough to flex the diaphragm E downwardly, as indicated in Fig. i2, thereby per .mitting the air t0 be discharged through the port C. If water 'should enter with the air-,tho float will be raised as indicated in F ig. 3 and the port C closed, thereby preventing the escape of water. After all of the air has been expelled from the radiator so as to permit steam to enter the valve casing. the expansible, tloatbecomes heated and the diaphragm at the lower end thereof is caused ,to bulge `outwardly, the parts being so proportioned that the valve G will be forced against its seat and thus close the radiator against escape of steam, the condition being now as indicated in I? ig. A.. lVhen steam is shut off, that remaining in the radiator condenses and a. partial vacuum is immediately formed. Consequently the diaphragm E, by reason of its resiliency and the air pressure underneath, follows up the receding stem I-" as.' the float cools and maintains the valve against its scat, the' final position, after cooling being that as shown in Fig. 1. It will thus be seen that the radiator is sealed against entrance otair so that, unless leakage occurs, there will be'a partial vacuum in the radiator when steam is again turned on. Y

It will now be seen that I have produced a simple and compactdevice of great strength and durability. The casing and the float are in the form of long thin cylinders which eliminates waste space ard makes the float easy to control. float above the diaphragm, it is possible. to make all adjustments above the float by means of the single member K and without changing the normal position thereof; that is, after the parts are assembled no adjustment. need be made which affects the sensitivencss of the float as such because it will always begin t0 rise when the water in the casing reaches a predetermined level regardless of the adjustment of the member K. Moreover the diaphragm may be fastened very securely in place because it is a permanent part which nerd not be disturbed in order to gain access to 'the float since the shell may be detached from the base for this urpose. Neither does the removal of the siell affect the spider which supports and guides the float, the spider being car ried 1n the base member, so thatv upon remoring and replacing the shell no adjustment need bel made except perhaps of the By placing the member K.- The diaphragm is nouseoucneath the' spider eren after reinoral of the shell so that there is little danger of injury thereto.

, \Vhile I have described in detail only a single embodiment of my invention, I do not desire to be limited to this speciic embodiment but intend covering' all constructions and arrangements which come withinn the terms of the definitions of my invention constituting the appended claims.

I claim:

l. In a device of the character described,

.a twopiece casing comprising en elongated upright4 cylindrical shell and a detachable base member screw-threaded upon the lower end of the shell 'to closethc same, a nipple extending from the base member for connecting the device with the radiator, a dia- 'I'ihragm housed within and extending across the base member in the plane of the bottom of the ni pple, said base member be# ing perforated beneath the diaphragm to permit atmospheric pressure to the onderside of the diaphragm, said shell having .port in its upper end, au elongated expansible float within said shell, a valve upon the 'upper end of the float for controlling said port, and a spider detachably mounted in said base member between the float and the diaphragm, and a pin carried by the lioat and projecting through said spider into proximity to the dia'phragm.

Q. In a. device of the character described,

a two-piece casing comprising an upright shell and a detachable base member screwthreaded u pon the lower end of the shell to close the same, a nipplerrextcnding from the base member for connecting the device with the radiator, a diaphragm housed within and extending across the base member in the plane. of the bottom of the. nipple, said base member being perforated beneath the 'diaphragm to permit atmospheric pressure han" 

